Tuğba BAL

Tuğba BAL is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Uskudar University, specializing in tissue engineering for diabetes treatment through bioartificial systems and immunoisolation strategies. Her work integrates biomaterials science with regenerative medicine to develop advanced cell-based therapies.

Dr. Bal's educational background includes:

• BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Istanbul Technical University (2010)
• MS in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Koç University (2012)
• PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Koç University (2017)

Her research focuses on bioartificial pancreas development, utilizing hydrogels and nanogels for immunoisolation of insulin-secreting cells, with emphasis on in vitro vascularization and cell-biomaterial interactions. Current projects explore flavonoid applications in neural models for Alzheimer's disease and drug repositioning strategies for oncological disorders.

Recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a concentrated effort on translating tissue engineering solutions to clinical diabetes treatment, particularly through scaffold-free islet organization and biomaterial-mediated immune modulation. Her work bridges polymer science, endocrinology, and translational medicine with increasing clinical relevance.

Accolades include:

• Dr. Orhan Öcalgiray Success Award during undergraduate studies
• Koç University Academic Excellence Award for doctoral research
• TUBITAK BIDEB fellowship during graduate training

Dr. Bal actively supervises graduate research in neurodegenerative and oncological drug development while leading institutional initiatives. Her administrative leadership encompasses:

• Head of Biomedical Engineering Department (2024-Present)
• Coordinator of Biomedical Engineering Research Group (2024-Present)
• Deputy Head of Department (2022-2024)

She directs the Biomedical Engineering Laboratory at Uskudar University, advancing collaborative research in biomaterial design and tissue model development for diabetes and neurological disorders.